Those who do not believe in the existence of the novel coronavirus are not ill-intentioned. They are influenced by the behavior of the authorities, like of the church. Polls show the church enjoys the greatest trust among the people. The behavior of negationists is also determined by the indulgent attitude of the police to the non-observance of the protection measures, including by high-ranking officials who only now started to wear protective masks, IPN project’s standing expert Igor Boțan stated in the public debate “Who is afraid of COVID-19 and why” that was held by IPN News Agency.
The expert noted that the people heard from the church that COVID-19 is invented. “Reference was made to those 5G aerials and to vaccines based on colloidal substances that self-assemble when they are introduced into the body and become receivers and emitters of signals that are received and sent by 5G aerials. The authorities were unable to intervene promptly to combat these untruths. When they tried to, for example through the message of the Premier, the representatives of the church replied by an unacceptable attack,” he stated.
According to the expert, the police are another authority whose behavior was praised by some of the high-ranking officials and church officials as the police officers were understating and tolerant of the violations committed in the public sphere, refusing to implement the Contravention Code. These aspects can lead to nihilism or full denial of the protection measures and all the tools used by the public authorities to regulate the social relations in such situations.
Igor Boțan believes the behavior of the incredulous persons is also determined by the behavior of senior state officials who started to wear masks in crowded places, as an example, only recently.
As to vaccination, the expert said public opinion from the start was against any vaccine. When the world leaders, in order to transmit a positive message to the people, said that the people should wait for a vaccine to be found by being precautious, that effervescence of interventions by conservative organizations appeared.
Particular persons, without being expert in particular areas, tell the people that if they take communion, the virus cannot survive and they invite the people to religious ceremonies. They also generate attacks on the authorities and dangerous things happen as a result, he stated.
The debate “Who is afraid of COVID-19 and why” was the 149th installment of the debates project “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
